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Promoting physical activity and sport for girls and young women in the capital to prevent them giving it up at various stages in life

2021-04-28 00:00:00.0

Iberdrola and Madrid City Council launch the ‘Girls, sport makes us powerful!’ programme

De izquierda a derecha, Elisa Yarte, responsable de patrocinios y marca global de Iberdrola, Begoña Villacís , vicealcaldesa de Madrid, y Sofía Miranda, delegada del área de deporte del Ayuntamiento

Female participation in municipal sports is less than 20% and only 37% in schools where it is promoted, according to data from the City Council

Over 5,000 boys and girls from 10 secondary schools in 5 areas of Madrid will take part in talks and workshops held by Iberdrola's collaborating sportswomen. Professional athletes Elena García Griumau and Lucía Rodríguez Montero have held the first at the Cerro Almodóvar sports complex in the Santa Eugenia neighbourhood, in the district of Villa de Vallecas.

The agreement was signed in the presence of the Deputy Mayor of Madrid, Begoña Villacís; sports councillor Sofía Miranda; and Elisa Yarte, head of sponsorship and global branding at Iberdrola

Iberdrola and the sports department of Madrid City Council have signed a collaboration agreement to encourage girls and young women between 12 and 24 years of age in the capital to take up sport. Through the ‘Girls, sport makes us powerful!’ project this agreement extends the commitment of both sides to try to prevent girls and young women giving up physical activity and sport

According to council data, girls in this age group give up sport more than boys for a number of reasons. Female participation in municipal sports is less than 20% and only 37% in schools where it is promoted. The presence of women in organising bodies and sports management stands at 10%.

The signing of the agreement took place in Madrid's Cerro Almodóvar sports complex, located in the neighbourhood of Santa Eugenia, in Villa de Vallecas district, in the presence of the Deputy Mayor of Madrid, Begoña Villacís; the council's sports delegate, Sofía Miranda; and Elisa Yarte, head of sponsorship and global branding at Iberdrola. In addition, professional athletes Elena García Grimau and Lucía Rodríguez Montero held a workshop in which they stressed the importance of their formative years.

In total, 5,000 boys and girls from 10 secondary schools in 5 areas of Madrid are to take part in the programme which includes talks and workshops run by sportswomen provided by Iberdrola. The schools are IES Santa Eugenia, IES Villa de Vallecas, IES Gran Capitán, IES Antonio Fraguas Forges, IES Santa Marca, IES Ramiro de Maeztu, IES Manuel Fraga Iribarne, IES Arturo Soria, IES Joaquín Rodrigo and Colegio El Cid.

“At Iberdrola we have been supporting women's sport for some years with the conviction that this activity on our part is a contribution in the fight for equal opportunities Through partnerships and projects like this we aim to help raise awareness among girls and young women and their families about the importance of maintaining links with sport as they grow up”, explains Elisa Yarte, head of sponsorship and global branding at Iberdrola.

For her part Madrid City Councillor for Sport, Sofía Miranda, highlighted “the importance of support from organisations like Iberdrola to consolidate the rise of women's sport in our city. This programme, focusing exclusively on strengthening the foundations of sport, is designed to raise the visibility of role models for girls and young women and continue to develop an educational and social structure that encourages them to remain within the sporting community”.

Iberdrola, a pioneer in promoting women's sport

Promoting women's sport has become a key ambition for Iberdrola, and the promotion of true equality between men and women one of its essential values. In 2016, Iberdrola became the first company to make a firm and global commitment to women's equality and empowerment through sport. Currently, the company supports 16 leagues: gymnastics, triathlon, rugby, canoeing, badminton, football, handball, volleyball, hockey, table tennis, athletics, karate, boxing, surfing, ice sports and fencing. Iberdrola also lends its name to 22 national top-tier sports leagues, and 35 other competitions.

At the same time, the provision of resources, facilities, medical services and referees, as well as support and sponsorship for different initiatives in this field from Iberdrola has not only helped to increase the number of federated sportswomen in these disciplines by 39% (reaching over 300,000), but is also allowing Spanish elite sportswomen who have built their sporting career in other countries to start competing again in Spain, leading to an improvement in the standard and visibility of national competitions.

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About Iberdrola

Iberdrola is one of the world’s principal energy companies, a leader in renewables, and is spearheading the energy transition towards a low-emission economy. The group supplies energy to around 100 million people in dozens of countries and has renewable, grid and retail activities in Europe (Spain, the UK, Portugal, France, Germany, Italy and Greece), the US, Brazil, Mexico and Australia, and has growth platforms in markets including Japan, Ireland, Sweden and Poland, among others.

With a workforce of more than 37,000 and assets of over €122.518 billion, it recorded turnover in excess of €33 billion and net profit slightly exceeding €3.61 billion in 2020. The company contributes to the maintenance of 400,000 jobs in its supply chain, with an annual procurement budget of €14 billion. A leader in the fight against climate change, Iberdrola has committed more than €120 billion over the last two decades to building a sustainable energy model based on sound environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles.